Scotch whisky Winnie the Pooh would love

Dewars is betting a spoonful of honey will help the whiskey go down

When the iconic Scotch brand Dewar’s describes its newest release, it tells of its “well-rounded and harmonious taste profile” and “captivating blend of sweetness and bite.”

But the key word may be “sweetness,” for this isn’t quite the Dewar’s that generations of Scotch drinkers have known and loved. Instead, it’s a honey-flavored version: Dewar’s Highlander Honey, to be exact.

As heretical as it may seem to old-school sippers, the whiskey world has taken a cue from the vodka one and gone the flavored route. “There’s a desire to expand the base for these iconic brands, not the least of which among women drinkers,” says Frank Coleman, senior vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. “It draws them away from wine.”

While Dewar’s may be the first major Scotch label to embrace the trend, bourbon makers have been on the bandwagon for the past few years: Wild Turkey has its American Honey, Evan Williams has its Honey Reserve and Cinnamon Reserve, and Jim Beam has its Red Stag line with Black Cherry, Honey Tea and Spiced varieties (and separate from Red Stag, there’s a Jim Beam Honey, too).

And even before Dewar’s launched Highlander Honey, flavored whiskey was going global: Last year, the Irish brand Bushmills came out with Bushmills Irish Honey and Canada’s Crown Royal introduced its Maple Finished whiskey.

In short, flavored whiskey is hotter than a hot toddy. Research firm Technomic says the category grew by 19.6% in 2012 (as measured by sales volume) compared with growth of 3.7% for non-flavored American whiskey and 6.3%for single-malt Scotch. Granted, flavored whiskey accounts for a relatively small share of the marketplace — 3.5 million cases in 2012 versus 48.1 million cases for non-flavored whiskey, according to Technomic. But the evidence suggests the category is only going to get bigger over time.

Spirits brands make it clear that they’re indeed trying to woo novice drinkers — especially men in their 20s and women overall — who find straight-ahead whiskey too harsh. So, why not make it more approachable by providing the same boost of sweetness that’s come to define many flavored vodkas? The idea is a variation on that classic Mary Poppins song: In this case, a spoonful of sugar makes the spirit go down.

Then again, it’s not all that new an idea. “The notion of flavoring spirits goes back to Prohibition, when illegal moonshiners used fruits to mask the flavor of their harsh hooch,” says Linda Losey, chief operating officer of West Virginia’s Bloomery Plantation Distillery, one of a number of small-scale spirits distillers that’s also embraced the current flavor trend.

Dewar’s executives say their product is not “hooch” of any sort. Highlander Honey begins with Dewar’s classic White Label, which is then infused with Scottish-sourced honey. Dewar’s master blender Stephanie Macleod says the finished product is designed to play off what’s inherent in the Scotch. “The core flavor notes of White Label are honey and vanilla. We’re building on the strength of that,” she says.

Not that traditionalists regard flavored whiskey with quite the same degree of enthusiasm. Josh Inglis, a Chicago-based publicist who’s a bourbon buff, says he likes to “keep it simple and unimaginative” when it comes to brown spirits. (His drink of choice: Maker’s Mark.) He dismisses flavored whiskey the same way he does most any trendy beverage. (His take on limited-release seasonal beers? “If they were any good, they’d sell them year-round,” he says.)

But it’s not just traditionalists who have objections. As Dewar’s Highlander Honey was being readied for the marketplace, a bit of controversy ensued when the Scotch Whisky Association (Scotch whisky is spelled without an “e”) challenged the promotion of the spirit as, well, Scotch. “There is no law preventing the production of new products based on Scotch whisky. The important thing is that they are labeled and marketed in a way that clearly distinguishes them from Scotch,” the SWA said in a statement to the WhiskyCast website. Dewar’s has responded by simply saying that “as a member of the SWA, we work closely with them on the launch” of any new product. In that regard, it’s perhaps worth noting that, as of now, Highlander Honey is branded a “spirit drink” on the back of the bottle. (On the front, in small print, it’s identified as “Dewar’s blended Scotch whisky infused with natural flavors.”)

If there’s anything else playing into the flavored whiskey trend, it might be the growing thirst for whiskey itself, especially bourbon. America’s signature spirit has become so popular of late that there’s been concern about depleting stocks. At one point earlier this year, Maker’s Mark announced it would be lowering its bourbon’s alcoholic content to deal with the supply issue — essentially, stretching the existing stock — but a backlash followed and the brand reversed course.

All that has encouraged whiskey makers to ramp up production, but the brands need to ensure that the spirits they’re making today will still be in demand when they hit store shelves after the requisite years of aging, explains Noah Rothbaum, editor-in-chief of Liquor.com. One way to do that, Rothbaum says, is to “diversify your portfolio” — in other words, add flavored versions to a product line.

Of course, the flavor trend is broader than whiskey. Nearly every spirit now comes in a Baskin-Robbins-style pantheon of choices. Just a few weeks ago, tequila brand Avion unveiled an espresso version. Rum-maker Bacardi now offers everything from Big Apple to Grand Melon varieties. And even moonshine — the original hooch — has gone back to its flavored roots, albeit with something of a craft stamp. Consider Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine’s apple pie version: “Americana in a jar,” the brand says.

And, yes, the flavored vodka category, now nearly three decades old, also continues to grow — almost to the point of absurdity, say spirits experts. Among the varieties cited in a recent survey by the recipe site Delish: a peanut butter-and-jelly vodka, a dill-pickle vodka and a glazed-donut vodka.

Does that mean the world will soon see a glazed-donut whiskey, too? Dewar’s managing director Arvind Krishnan won’t say exactly what’s in the pipeline, but he indicates that more flavors are definitely possible. “For us, it’s about the opportunity,” he says.

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